Former ballerina Joan Halliday celebrates 100th birthday
The Australian Ballet’s artistic director David McAllister has paid tribute to Joan Halliday who turns 100 on February 9.
Joan Halliday, who turns 100 this week, has been a major force in raising the bar in ballet throughout Australia.
From touring with the nation’s leading ballet companies to opening her own dance school in Sydney, there was always one constant - her identical twin sister, Monica.
The Australian Ballet’s artistic director David McAllister paid tribute to the Halliday sister’s contribution to ballet on Monday.
“The Halliday sisters have been such a driving force for ballet in Australia, firstly as dancers and then as the teachers of generations of talented Australians,” McAllister said.
“I wish Joan a very happy 100th birthday and thank her for bringing the joy of dance to Australia for such a successful and productive career as a dancer, teacher and examiner.
“Sending much love, warmest birthday greetings and thanks for her contribution to our art form from all at The Australian Ballet.”
Ms Halliday said her father, newspaper columnist HT Halliday, loved dressing his twin daughters the same; however, both sisters resisted to map a path where they dressed as individuals rather than twins.
It was his love of the ballet that saw the two Halliday girls training as ballerinas.
During World War II Mr Halliday packed up his family, fearing Brisbane was not safe and travelled to Sydney by train.
“I worked in a factory making bullets,” Ms Halliday said. “I had to get up at 6am.”
By this time she already had a profile in the ballet world and was called to an audition with the Borovansky Ballet School.
Both Halliday sisters danced in three professional ballet companies – the Borovansky Ballet, later to evolve into The Australian Ballet, Ballet Rambert and Kirsova Ballet.
In 1950, Ms Halliday founded the Sydney Ballet Group and the sisters opened the Joan Halliday School of Ballet.
“The first school was in Parker St, Sydney,” Ms Halliday said.
“We also had a school in Hay St, we had to get out because of the development of the Capitol Theatre and then Holt St Surry Hills – we had a very big studio there that closed in 1997.”
As well as summer schools at schools such as Shore, Abbotsleigh and PLC, the Halliday sisters were famous for running residential summer camps at a Jackaroo Ranch at Kenthurst.
Ms Halliday, who was awarded an Order of Australia Medal and made a fellow with the Royal Academy of Dance for her contributions to ballet, will turn 100 on February 9.
Events are planned at the Red Leaf Manor aged care home at Concord by family, RAD and past students to help her celebrate and recognise her achievements.
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